Sound symbolic words consist of inevitable associations between sounds and meanings. We aimed to identify differences in familiarity, visual imageability, auditory imageability, tactile imageability, emotional valence, and arousal between Japanese sound symbolic words with voiced initial consonants (VCs; dakuon in Japanese; e.g., biribiri) and Japanese sound symbolic words with semi-voiced initial consonants (SVCs; handakuon in Japanese; e.g., piripiri), and between VCs (e.g., daradara) and Japanese sound symbolic words with voiceless initial consonants (VLCs; seion in Japanese; e.g., taratara). First, auditory imageability and arousal were significantly higher in VCs than SVCs, whereas familiarity, tactile imageability, and positive emotion (emotional valence) were significantly higher in SVCs than VCs. Second, visual imageability was higher in VCs than VLCs, while familiarity and positive emotion were higher in VLCs than VCs. Initial consonants in Japanese sound symbolic words could be associated with specific subjective evaluations such as familiarity, visual imageability, auditory imageability, tactile imageability, emotional valence, and arousal.

声音象征词由声音和意义之间不可避免的联系组成。我们旨在确定带有浊首辅音的日语声音符号词（VC；日语中的dakuon；例如biribiri）与带有半浊首辅音（SVC；日语中的handakuon；例如piripiri），以及在VC（例如daradara）和带有清音首辅音（VLC；日语seion；例如taratara）的日语声音符号之间）。首先，VCs 的听觉成像能力和唤醒显着高于 SVCs，而 SVCs 的熟悉度、触觉成像能力和积极情绪（情绪效价）显着高于 VCs。其次，VC 的视觉成像能力高于 VLC，而 VLC 的熟悉度和积极情绪高于 VC。日语声音符号词中的声母可能与特定的主观评价有关，例如熟悉度、视觉形象性、听觉形象性、触觉形象性、情感效价和唤醒。